It is funny when you talk of your childhood experiences and the fact that your parents' warning to not eat from street carts. Street food in India has a mixed rep - you know it borders on unhygienic and eat too much you will inevitably succumb to food poisoning. At the same time you cannot help but rave about the various food on offer on your favorite chat street. For me and I imagine most of the Oriyas, the best street food would have to be the dahibara aludum. Oh, where to begin? Mention that name to any former resident of Cuttack and you get this dreamy expression in their eyes and an accompanied groan. Memories would crowd them and they would get down to discussing the merits of the particular dish and end up with fighting over which street serves the best one. The traditionalists would shake their heads and state equivocally that the best dahibara aludum is made by Raghu at CDA street. People would travel as long as two hours to go camp near his cart in order to avail themselves a large order. The others would state that the best comes from Iswar at Chandi Chhak. Still others would go for Naya Sarak. But all of them would agree that it beats panipuri,chat, pav bhaji or rolls to win the race for the best street food around.
But I think I have got ahead of myself. What is this food you may ask? It is pillowy vadas soaked in spicy yoghurt with the consistency of buttermilk. The vendor would get out the bowls made of leaves and throw in around four of those, then spoon gughuni [see Matar curry in my first post] over it. Then, he would add alu dum or very spicy potato curry. Finally, he would add chopped onions, coriander and then sev on top. At some places, there would be grated carrots and mint and tamarind chutney in addition to this. You then stand and proceed to demolish the entire plate. After that, the vendor will ask if you want dahi and ladle a huge spoon of spiced yoghurt and at your request some onion and sev on to it. You gulp it down and then head to the nearest store and buy yourself a huge block of ice-cream because - dear god in heaven - it is deliciously spicy. Go anywhere around the world, have anything from those places - but, once you have had a taste of this delicacy, you will come back for more. And on that mildly cliched note, I shall end this post. Because, trust me, I am on the verge of reducing into a stereotypical adoration. If you are anywhere around Cuttack at any time, go to the streets of CDA or Naya Sarak[you will get directions automatically-Oriyas are very proud of this particular food] and order a full plate of dahibara aludum. And life will be good.
But I think I have got ahead of myself. What is this food you may ask? It is pillowy vadas soaked in spicy yoghurt with the consistency of buttermilk. The vendor would get out the bowls made of leaves and throw in around four of those, then spoon gughuni [see Matar curry in my first post] over it. Then, he would add alu dum or very spicy potato curry. Finally, he would add chopped onions, coriander and then sev on top. At some places, there would be grated carrots and mint and tamarind chutney in addition to this. You then stand and proceed to demolish the entire plate. After that, the vendor will ask if you want dahi and ladle a huge spoon of spiced yoghurt and at your request some onion and sev on to it. You gulp it down and then head to the nearest store and buy yourself a huge block of ice-cream because - dear god in heaven - it is deliciously spicy. Go anywhere around the world, have anything from those places - but, once you have had a taste of this delicacy, you will come back for more. And on that mildly cliched note, I shall end this post. Because, trust me, I am on the verge of reducing into a stereotypical adoration. If you are anywhere around Cuttack at any time, go to the streets of CDA or Naya Sarak[you will get directions automatically-Oriyas are very proud of this particular food] and order a full plate of dahibara aludum. And life will be good.
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